All tile shops will sell a number of different types of tiles. The most common floor tiles and wall tiles are known as either a rectified tile or pressed edge or cushion edge tile. The difference between the two comes down to the manufacturing process and how the tiles are cut.
Rectified tiles are ceramic or porcelain tiles that have been precisely ground and machined to give them near-perfect straight edges and exact dimensions. These tiles provide a very clean, symmetrical look, and allow for extremely fine grout lines of 3mm or less. Pressed edged tiles or cushion edged tiles are basically tiles cut to size by either hand or a form of machine biscuit tile cutter, similar to that of a pre-shaped biscuit cutter to make cookie dough. The last few years we have seen some new floor tiles as a result of new technological advancements in tile manufacturing. One of them is the rectified or straight edge tile. Initially, rectification was used to initiate the marble look and to achieve a small grout joint mainly in kitchens and bathrooms. Rectified tiles are made differently than traditional tiles, they are normally a porcelain tile but with the edge cut straight at a 90 degree angle. The pieces are cut perfectly with a side grinding process that removes the curved edge that traditional tiles have, adding in a perfect straight edge finish. The uses of rectified tiles are many, but mainly they are used for spaces were a visual effect with no grout joints is desired. Rectified tiles come in all textures, sizes, formats and finishes. Whether that be waves, smooth finishes, imitation slate and stone, timber or other aesthetic finishes. Laying rectified tiles is a slower process than laying traditional edge tiles and may also cost more even though they are straight edge. Some customer choose to butt the tiles up against each other however it is advised to at least allow a 1-1.5 mm joint to prevent chipping which is recommended by almost every manufacturer. If you are going to lay rectified tiles, we recommend you also use a levelling system to insure a level finishes free of lippage. Naturally there is an extra cost in using this system (approximately $1.5 sqm) however if you consider the true saving and compare the end result we can assure you that it is money well spent, as the time saved and the quality of the finished work will be superior. In Summary, rectified tiles may take longer and be slightly more expensive to lay, however they aesthetic appeal of the smaller grout joints in conjunction with the use of a proper levelling system to ensure a perfect job, will far outweigh any cost. It will also allow you to better line up grout joints to create a seamless floor tile or wall tile design.
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